Powerhouse Parramatta Opening Festival: 179 Events to Celebrate the New Museum

Powerhouse Parramatta is opening its doors on 7 November 2026, and the celebrations are going to be huge! The brand-new museum is marking its arrival with a 23-day Opening Festival featuring 179 events, including spectacular performances, science and space talks, cultural celebrations, creative workshops and family activities.

Running across four weekends until 29 November, the festival brings together international innovators, artists and Western Sydney talent, with 65 per cent of events completely free. Plus, children under 16 can explore all five of the museum's opening exhibitions for free.

What's Happening at the Powerhouse Parramatta Opening Festival?

Historic Steam Trains and Vintage Bus Rides

All aboard for an opening weekend with a difference! On 7 and 8 November, families can travel aboard the historic Locomotive 3265 steam train between Parramatta and Riverstone, while vintage buses will shuttle visitors between Parramatta Station and the museum. The NSW Railway Band will also perform at Parramatta Station, adding a musical welcome to the celebrations.

Vintage bus rides are free, while steam train tickets must be booked separately.

Lion Dances, Cultural Performances and Celebrations

The opening weekend brings a colourful lineup of performances celebrating Western Sydney's diverse communities. Highlights include The Pride, a spectacular lion and dragon dance performance by Jin Wu Koon, featuring specially commissioned costumes.

Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts will present Where Our Waters Meet, a celebration of Pacific culture featuring traditional performance, ceremony and the unveiling of a newly commissioned Māori watercraft.

Families can also experience Jannawi Dance Clan, sharing Dharug culture through dance, song and storytelling, and Eseli's Story, an extraordinary Torres Strait Islander performance featuring 44 dancers and eight singers and musicians.

Space, Science and Future Technology

Young space enthusiasts will have plenty to discover, with talks exploring everything from travelling beyond Earth to the future of technology.

Veteran astronaut and former NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. will share his experiences in space exploration, while Off Earth brings together space architects, engineers and artists to discuss what it might take for humans to live beyond our planet.

The program also includes internationally acclaimed science fiction author Ted Chiang and discussions about artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and the inventions shaping our future.

Free Creative Workshops for Families

Kids can roll up their sleeves during A Swell of Stars, an all-ages creative workshop inspired by the universe, mythology and storytelling. Led by costume designer Keerthi Subramanyam, participants can make wearable artworks and return with their creations for a celebratory procession.

The free workshop runs from 7 to 28 November, with special entry arrangements during opening weekend.

ABC Kids Day: Bluey, Play School and More!

Sunday 22 November is a special day for younger visitors, with some familiar faces taking over Powerhouse Parramatta.

Kids can spot the Bananas in Pyjamas roaming the museum, explore 60 years of Play School through interactive activities and join the hilarious live storytelling experience Story Salad Live!.

Bluey and Bingo will also make an appearance for special meet-and-greet sessions, although the free ticket allocation has already sold out.

Spectacular Nighttime Art and Live Performances

One of the festival's standout experiences is Come Home Again, a large-scale installation by acclaimed British artist Es Devlin.

Presented across 11 evenings, the installation combines illuminated artworks depicting 244 threatened species from NSW with live choral performances from Western Sydney choirs and Sydney Chamber Opera.

Visitors can also enjoy A Swell of Stars, featuring communal performances and workshops, alongside live music and cultural celebrations throughout the festival.

Diwali Celebrations, Design Talks and Film

The festival's lineup continues with a rooftop Diwali Day Party on Sunday 8 November, celebrating South Asian music and dance with performances curated by Kerfew.

Design enthusiasts can hear from internationally acclaimed Australian designer Marc Newson, while the Pasifika Film Festival showcases filmmaking and storytelling from Pacific communities.

Other highlights include conversations with leading artists and innovators, food experiences celebrating Western Sydney's culinary traditions and talks with First Nations knowledge holders, including Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo and Sharon Winsor.

Explore the Five New Powerhouse Parramatta Exhibitions

Alongside the Opening Festival, visitors can be among the first to explore five major exhibitions: Task Eternal, Overflow, The Mall, Es Devlin: The Turning and The Dark.

Spanning space exploration, science, design, contemporary art and the future of our world, the exhibitions bring together thousands of objects and ambitious installations.

All five exhibitions are free for children under 16, making the new Powerhouse Parramatta a particularly appealing family outing.

Visit Powerhouse Parramatta for more event details.

Where: Powerhouse Parramatta, 34 Phillip Street, Parramatta
When: Saturday 7 to Sunday 29 November 2026
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday: 10 am to 5 pm
Thursday to Sunday: 10 am to 9 pm
Cost: 65% of festival events are FREE. All exhibitions are FREE for children under 16. Adult exhibition tickets and selected festival events are ticketed.

Extra info: Parramatta Station is approximately an eight-minute walk from the museum. The Church Street light rail stop is approximately four minutes away. There is no on-site parking.

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